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What should’ve been the best moment of Ada Hegerberg’s soccer career so far quickly devolved into an embarrassing blip. Thankfully, though, the Twitterverse came to her rescue.

The 23-year-old Norwegian athlete — who also plays for French club Lyon, which won the Women’s Champions League last season — was awarded the first-ever Women’s Ballon d’Or award Monday night in Paris. After she received the trophy, the event co-host, DJ Martin Solveig, asked her to twerk.

Hegerberg declined, looking visibly uncomfortable, according to footage obtained by The Guardian. In response, many people in the audience, mostly made up of men, looked shocked. However, before walking off the stage, the woman of honor agreed to dance briefly with the DJ to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” for a few seconds, NBC News reported.

Ada Hegerberg and Martin Solveig

FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

Fans of female soccer were none too pleased about the bizarre request.

“What kind of question is this? And why are these guys laughing? This is disgusting, I’m so sorry for Ada Hegerberg,” commented a third.

Following the backlash, Solveig apologized in a video on his Twitter account.

Sincere apologies to the one I may have offended. My point was : I don’t invite women to twerk but dance on a Sinatra song. Watch the full sequence People who have followed me for 20 years know how respectful I am especially with women pic.twitter.com/pnZX8qvl4R

“Sincere apologies to the one I may have offended,” he wrote alongside it. “My point was: I don’t invite women to twerk but dance on a Sinatra song. Watch the full sequence People who have followed me for 20 years know how respectful I am especially with women.”

In a follow-up statement, the “Hello” musician added, “I acknowledge that it was in poor taste and I am deeply sorry for my mistake,” before explaining that his reference to twerking was a joke.

Christophe Ena/AP/REX/Shutterstock

“I was asked to prepare a song for each winner and would dance with each recipient after their award was presented,” he continued. “The clip circulating on social media does not reflect the whole situation … The twerking comment was used in contrast to the song I had prepared for her.”

He also posted a picture of the pair shaking hands after the ceremony.

I explained to @AdaStolsmo the buzz and she told me she understood it was a joke. Nevertheless my apologies to anyone who may have been offended. Most importantly congratulations to Ada pic.twitter.com/DATdg0TfQk

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